Zach, I have followed you since ’09 or ’10 – somewhere around that time. Excellent post because I have also felt this burden, this supposed ‘stigma’ of being the leader. I used to call myself the ‘Tip of the Spear’ in the mission statement of my original business plan. The more times I have heard these words that you speak today, and others have talked about in a similar manner, I always get something new out of it. And more importantly I need to hear these things. Great job as always and I am happy to have known of you for so long, even though we’ve never met. Keep up the good work leading from the front!

Thursday, January 15, 2015 - You might be uncertain about your actions at work today, even if you can justify them to your associates. Unfortunately, you could be stopped in your tracks anyhow because authoritative Saturn -- now in your sign -- won't let you proceed if you're not fully prepared or if you're heading in the wrong direction. Don't allow self-doubt to adversely affect your efforts; the current obstacles are there to remind you to stop spinning your wheels and to concentrate your intent on the most significant matters first. Your chances for success greatly improve if you have a viable plan in place.

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But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do isolation exercises. Calf raises, concentration curls and dumbbell kickbacks will always have their place in bringing out the finer points of a physique, but they’re not what’s going to make you shredded. Compound (multi-joint) movements need to be the foundation of your program, since they’re the exercises that will build the most muscle, and hence keep your metabolism revving.

A headline like that screams, “bullshit”, but truth be told, it’s actually quite possible to do some serious damage. The key to success will be in the details, and you’ll need to follow them meticulously. But don’t stress, this is a short-lived emergency shred, not a long-term lifestyle plan. Party, vacation, we’ve got you covered.

TUT is the total amount of time a muscle is placed under stress during the length of a set. Your cadence, or tempo, for each rep determines your TUT. For example, if you’re using a 3/1/3 cadence (three seconds on the positive portion of a movement, pause for one second at the apex, and then take three seconds on the negative) for 7 reps your time under tension for that set is 49 seconds.

While using an Add-on-set workout, you will decide which exercises will be prioritized and thus get the most work sets. This will result in a radically intense workout with laser-like muscle-sculpting precision. Check out this bi-peaking and tri-sweeping Add-On-Set workout to see exactly what I’m talking about.

1) Cheat Reps - This is when you loosen up your form a bit and use some body english or momentum to complete a few more full repetitions. For example, if doing a set of barbell curls, when you reach the point where another strict rep is impossible, you begin to “swing” the weight up using a slight bend of the torso at the beginning of each rep, and perhaps lean back a bit to complete the rep. The point here is to use the LEAST amount of cheating possible to complete the rep. 2) Forced Reps - This is when you have a spotter help you complete one or more reps once you cannot complete any more on your own. For example, during a bench press, when you get stuck at the midway point in the range of motion your spotter will pull up on the bar just enough to allow you to complete the rep. Your spotter should apply the LEAST amount of pressure possible to help you finish the rep(s). 3) Negatives - This is when you have reached failure and a spotter helps you complete the positive portion of the next rep or reps (unlike a forced rep, the spotter helps you get the bar back to the top with you using the least amount of force possible) so that you can lower the bar as slowly and with as much control as possible.

DIRECTIONS The first time you perform the workout, you’ll hit 25 reps for the main lifts by completing five sets of five, as shown. If you repeat the workout, perform six sets of four reps. In the next session, do eight sets of three. Do not perform this workout more than twice a week, and allow at least three days before repeating it. On each lift that you use the 25-rep rule for, spend the first three or four sets warming up so that only the last two are done with heavy weights.

I have only been able to read the first issue of my subscription. New issues do not appear on my iPad Air running iOS 8. I have followed all suggestions on their FAQ and still new issues do not appear. That's $10 down the drain.

It’s time to throw a wrench into your pec training with some hardcore, intense, extreme techniques, all intended to spark new muscle growth and take your chest beyond where it’s ever been. The following 5 chest-shocking methods have been tried many times over by expert trainers, champion bodybuilders and muscle-hungry gym rats with smashing success. So give them all a try (just not in the same workout – that’s cruel) and when your pecs refuse to go back into hibernation, feel free to blame us.

Circuit training is a great tool to use when time for working out is limited. In circuit training , resistance and aerobic training are combined into one workout to increase heart rate and keep it at a training level for the duration of the exercise session. The results are improved cardiovascular and muscular endurance along with functional strength and fat loss.

So, as you can see, plenty of thought goes into the creation of each my workouts, but after 20 straight years in the gym I believe that a very analytical approach to training is necessary in order to continue to progress at this point in my career. I hope the points listed above will help you to make every one of your workouts more efficient and effective.

To lift heavy weights , break records, and add slabs of muscle to your frame, you’ll need a great warmup to unlock your full potential before every workout. We don’t mean a 5-minute treadmill jog and some toe-touches followed by a 300-pound deadlift. This comprehensive warmup will get your heart pumping and muscles ready to grow fast.

Still think bodyweight exercises can’t give you the size you’re looking for? Add an entirely new dimension to your workouts by using a TRX suspension trainer. You can blast the areas of your body — legs, core, arms, back, and shoulders — that you couldn’t do with traditional bodyweight staples like pushups and pullups. Also, by changing the lever angle you can instantly add resistance.

I did not know who you were until I read this blog post too. I want to thank you for writing this inspiring blog post. I have failed and judged many times in life and sometimes it can be easy to believe what all the negative people tell you. It’s really good to read a blog post that I can relate to and get the reminder and encouragement to constantly believe in myself and push on. Thanks again Adam! I’m inspired.

How does giving more make your life better? Giving is the ultimate test of passion. When you do something with no expectation in return, you easily find what fuels you. (And conversely, what doesn’t.) You also learn about your ability to communicate, lead, and follow tasks that might be outside of your comfort zone. All of these are valuable but oftentimes they are learned in a pressure situation, like your job. When you can build capabilities in a less stressful situation (such as when you’re volunteering your time), you remove many of those barriers and grow as a person in ways you would never expect. Many of my best lessons in leadership came not from running a company but while tutoring inner city children during my spare time.

Squats are the king of leg exercises. It’s a natural body movement that incorporates flexion at all major lower body joints, causing max overload of the major muscles of the body. Increasing your squat strength will result in greater development throughout your entire lower body. Use the tried and true 5X5 method and focus on increasing weight each session to maximize this movement.

Tabata intervals are typically recommended for body-weight exercises and cardio activities like rowing and pedaling on a stationary bike. Many lifting exercises simply aren’t feasible with the Tabata method; the 10-second rest periods don’t always allow for enough recovery. That said, if you pick the right type of exercise and keep the weight light, you can effectively target a particular muscle group in Tabata fashion. We recommend machine-based exercises like Hammer Strength rows for back, machine overhead presses for shoulders, and machine curls for biceps. You might also try an isolation move for a larger muscle group—for example, machine flyes for chest or leg extensions for quads.

As you know (and have experienced) I am not only big on warmups, but I consider the Warmup the cornerstone of Training for Warriors training. A common mistake in training, however, is to use either an inadequate or no warmup at all before training. Since a trainee often thinks training itself is great at getting the heart rate up and increases core temperature, they often skip a warmup completely and jump head-first into the session. In most of the training books and DVDs out there, a warmup is quickly glazed over as if it is unimportant. This is definitely not the case and unfortunately sets the tone as if it doesn’t count.

Are you familiar with high intensity strength training? Every single set is taken out to momentary muscular failure, and typically only one set is done per exercise. Many bodybuilders such as Mike Mentzer, Casey Viator, Sergio Oliva trained this way. Many college and pro NFL teams also train in this fashion. The volume is low, which allows the intensity to be very high every time. (By the way, the proper definition of intensity is the percentage of one’s momentary ability. So if you train to failure, that is a high level of intensity, regardless of % of 1RM. You can train with a high level of intensity without ever touching your 1-5 RM weight.

Studies like this oftentimes make you excited about certain foods, but ultimately we shouldn’t make overarching statements because any direct relationship between the food (avocado) and the result (better health) wasn’t investigated. Instead, we can learn is that people who eat avocados also happen to be healthier, but don’t guarantee you will be healthier. Which is to say, eating avocado is a good habit. And in a world where health is built on habits that are both good and sustainable, eating avocado is a behavior you should add and use as a gateway to other healthier habits. (Have you ever tried a salad with avocado? I don’t have a study to prove it, but I’m pretty sure avocado improves taste and satisfaction by 200 percent.)

Intensity doesn’t only mean lifting a maximum weight, it can also involve making every rep and every set count, and two ways to do that are to control the tempo of the rep and attack the muscle from different angles within the set. And, as always, we want to try and perform a full range of motion for each and every rep, which would define good quality form and engage the maximum number of muscle fibers.

If you practice yoga five days a week you’ll just turn into a Gumby doll, right? Eh, maybe. Though a regular yoga practice does increase flexibility and help strengthen and lengthen your muscles, there are some not so obvious benefits to getting your “om” on regularly. From better bowel movements to steamier sex, you might be surprised what a little time on the mat can do for you. Try yoga for yourself. NYC-based readers can download the Sportsetter app and enter code MFWORKOUT for a free pass to a variety of yoga classes. Learn more about Sportsetter.

At the end of the day, worrying about the speed of digestion or any special properties of the various protein powders is an exercise in nit-pickery. Protein powders are meant to be a quick and easy solution for more protein, and all powders fit that criteria (although you saw our thoughts on meat powder). Your primary goal should be to eat as much protein as possible from whole food sources, and then meet your protein goals by using the supplements that work best for you to fill the gaps. Whether that means choosing convenience and taste (whey), cooking (casein), allergies (pea and rice, or egg protein), or cost (soy), there’s nothing magical about powders but each can serve a purpose and help.

Ongoing research at Keele U. shows that swearing is an actual f—king emotion—not just an off-color outburst. In the newest findings, subjects who felt riled up after playing a video game cussed more and faster than calmer subjects.“Swearing is an emotion, so it comes more easily— people are ‘better’ at it—when aroused,” says Keele’s Richard Stephens, Ph.D. It can also relieve pain, Stephens says, citing a test in which subjects allowed to swear were able to keep their hands submerged in ice water longer than those who had to watch their mouths. “It starts to explain why we swear,” says Stephens. “It gives us a release .” We can’t wait to tell Mom.

Again, to make these have the most transfer to sport and everyday life you are going to be in a standing position. Grab a plate, somewhere in the 10 to 45 pound range depending on strength. Hold the weight straight out at shoulder level. Just like the bar twist, twist as far as you can to one side then the other. These can be done with feet planted firmly, or the back foot twisting with the plate as described above. Do this for 4 sets of 20 repetitions (10 twists to each side).

Building a home gym can be pricey and time consuming to make it worth the effort, and finding adequate space is always an issue. But if you have a couple of cinder blocks collecting dust in your garage, you’ve already got all the material you need for a hardcore workout. In addition to farmer’s walks, curls, and bench presses, here are three additional ways to put those blocks to use.

An extremely mobile ball-and-socket joint, the shoulder can move in any direction. Although the joint moves freely, it's not a very stable area of the body and several muscles, including the deltoids and rotator cuff muscles, provide extra support. Strengthening these upper body muscles and the bones underneath them not only prevents injury, but also leads to a more aesthetic look.

who doesn't want to look good naked? Plus look at the musculature the definition this is insanely impressive and the models deserve so much respect for being willing to subject themselves to this kind of potential criticism for the small minds that see it as just exposure and not finding the art or hard work that it takes to look as they do in the photographs. Well done Bodybuilding.com and to all the athletes involved.

Sunday night you should be prepping your first meal of the week: balsamic grilled chicken sandwich. Marinate the chicken in balsamic vinaigrette and then throw it on to a frying pan for about 15 minutes. Once it has cooked through, place the chicken on a slice of whole-wheat bread. Cover the chicken with roasted red peppers, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves. And if you want to press it into a panini, just throw it back onto the pan for 5 minutes.

When battling with hunger the buck starts and stops with you. Sometimes hunger is in the mind. Learn to take your time eating your food, it takes 20 minutes for the food to hit your stomach and give you that feeling of fullness. If you rush down your eating, you will probably overeat. You have to keep your goal in mind when you’re hungry. Sometimes all it takes is a little willpower and determination.

This means if you eat cooked food, you’re more likely to gain weight, while people who eat raw food are more inclined to lose weight. Why? Highly processed food is more digestible; it’s softer and requires less energy from our bodies to break it down. (Keep in mind that digestibility changes and varies.) Starch becomes more resistant to digestion when it cools after being cooked so the enzymes can’t break down as easily. Stale food, like day-old cooked spaghetti, will provide you with fewer calories than a plate of spaghetti eaten straight from the stove; both technically have the same amount of calories, but very different outcomes.